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July 27, 2006
Eight Days a Week
FILM
The Breakup certainly isn’t the romantic comedy that its promos make it out to be and the presence of Vince Vaughn (star of a number of raucous over-the-top comedies like Wedding Crashers and Old School) might suggest. Turns out that it’s a slightly more mature affair than Crashers and School and may suggest that Vaughn, like Adam Sandler in Click, is ready to grow up a bit. But while growing up may be fine it doesn’t always translate to entertaining or thought-provoking cinema. The Breakup just isn’t any fun and it doesn’t really provide any insights into relationships either.
The movie chronicles the breakdown of a live-in couple’s relationship played by real-life twosome Vaughn and Jennifer Anniston (dubbed by the paparazzi as Vaughniston). While some of the moments strike true (these come early in the movie) the rest become tiresome and repetitive. There are a few good laughs but other scenes come across as more cruel and spiteful than anything else. You just keep wondering what the two principal characters were doing together in the first place.
The movie’s large supporting cast includes Jon Favreau, Joey Lauren Adams, Judy Davis, Ann-Margaret, and Vincent D’Onofrio. It’s always good to see Davis but Ann-Margaret is sadly wasted. The Favreau and Adams characters seem to go from one extreme to another for no apparent reason other than the demands of the script. D’Onofrio, however, manages to create a quirky character more interesting than anything else in the movie. Sadly, though, he’s onscreen for too short a while.—Khusro Mumtaz
OR
Koi Tujh Sa Kahan, Reema’s directorial debut and the biggest Pakistani hit to come out in the past 12 months or so, is now available on DVD. But is it really worth checking out? The answer, unfortunately, is as resounding a “No!” as possible.
Most Pakistani filmmakers seem to think that they only really need foreign locations and Indian backup singers to create a hit. But it’s the script, stupid! Get a good script and you’ll get a decent movie. But Koi Tujh Sa Kahan has an idiotic screenplay and way over-the-top acting by almost all concerned. It is basically a chore to sit through. The Malaysian locations, the blue contact lenses of all the leading ladies, the choreography by Mollywood’s Saroj Khan, and the vocals by Indian singers provide no relief either. Like I said ––– it’s all in the script and there are no signs of one here.
Veena Malik takes the honours in the over-acting department, followed closely by Moammar Rana (who can do a lot better as he’s shown on TV and in his single foray across the border). Newcomer Babrak still has a long way to go as does tall debutante and new face U.K. (I swear, that’s what it says in the credits) Simran. Reema is a little better (and looks good) but why on earth does she insist on spouting dialogue in English when that’s clearly not her forte? Nadeem, of course, doesn’t fall prey to over-the-top histrionics but he’s also clearly not that interested either. The songs by Amjad Bobby are boring, too. Perhaps the only positive is that the movie’s photography is slightly better than the average Pakistani film and that’s not really saying much.
Surely Pakistani cinema can do better than this?—K.M
SINGLE
It’s not surprising how many awards, accolades and fans have been a part of John Mayer’s career. The 28-year-old American plays the guitar, sings and writes his own music and his debut CD Room For Squares featured his Grammy-winning track Your Body is a Wonderland. Mayer’s six-foot-three hottie looks haven’t hurt him with the ladies, either.
His latest album Continuum is scheduled to be released this September and its lead single Waiting On the World To Change is currently all over the airwaves. The theme is politics and in particular US Governmental policy. Mayer rues, It’s hard to beat the system/when we’re standing at a distance/so we keep waiting/waiting on the world to change/now if we had the power/to bring our neighbours home from war… /and when you trust your television/what you get is what you got/cause when they own the information, oh/they can bend it all they want.
The chorus of this bittersweet melody is full of hope, with Mayer revealing, We keep on waiting waiting on the world to change/one day our generation /is gonna rule the population/so we keep on waiting /waiting on the world to change.
Mayer’s music may not be the kind you blast from your car, but it’s rich with raw vocals, sincere lyrics and the artist’s own unique style. Well worth checking out.—T. U. Dawood
ALBUM
It’s hard to forget Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians. With their catchy 1988 smash hit What I Am imprinted on the minds of music fans and their unforgettable name, the band well deserves its place in musical history.
Like most one-hit wonder bands, Brickell and the New Bohemians parted ways soon after they experienced success. In 1991, the twenty-five year old Brickell married and started a family with the much older Paul Simon. She only recently returned to music, having amassed a large collection of songs she’d written over the years. Her last album titled Volcano was released in 2004, although it was not a commercial success, is considered by many critics to be one of the most underrated albums of that year.
With the hope of recapturing past magic, Brickell has reteamed with her band 18 years after the release of their one and only “true” hit. The resulting album is titled Stranger Things.
The disc is a valiant attempt to recreate alchemy, but sadly it fails due to poor quality production. There is no direction on this CD and even more sadly, no soul. There are some interesting grooves, like the creative Buffalo Ghost, but somehow they never really seem to take off or live up to their potential.—T. U. D
TALK
Rizwan Ahmed will talk about Tibb-e-Nabvi — the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) ahadith regarding health and medicine, at Model Town Library, Lahore, on July 27 (today) at 6pm. Courtesy www.danka.com.pk
CONFERENCE
The Planning and Development Department of the government of Punjab has created an Urban Unit to plan for the sustainability of Pakistani cities. People associated with the Walled City of Lahore are invited to discuss, over an extended consultation phase, the conservation of the Walled City of Lahore. Consultations will go on till December 15, at Alhamra Arts Council, Lahore. Courtesy
www.danka.com.pk
AWARD CEREMONY
To appreciate the maintenance of quality control by different commodities, Consumers Association of Pakistan is organising the 2nd Consumers Choice Award ceremony today (July 27) at 4pm at Avari Tower (Khorshed Mahal), Karachi. The chief guests of the ceremony will be Jehangir Khan Tareen, Federal Minister for Industries and Production and Nasreen Jalil, Naib Nazim, Karachi.
BOOK LAUNCH
Pakistan Social Welfare Organisation is launching a collection of Salim Kashmiri’s works entitled, “Imaraat kay lail o nihar” today (July 27) at 6pm at Arts Council, Karachi. The ceremony will be presided by Jamiluddin Aali and Mahmood Shaam will be the chief guest.
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